Hi, right now we have two Quest 11s which we love for quick day trips to the river or small lakes but I am now looking for a big water kayak (large lakes, offshore) that can also double as a camping kayak for multi day excursions.

I really like the Hobie Adventure as I think it would hold enough stuff for camping trips, and I like that it can still be paddled without the drive for when I camp on a local river here that gets very shallow. However, I am concerned about its fishability. I have read some reviews that say it isn't really ideal for fishing as it is set up as more of a touring boat.

I am looking for owners of Adventures that can give some insight on how they like it for fishing and what kinds of waters it can handle. If you have pics of how it is rigged that would be awesome. Also whether you feel it holds enough for 5 day + camping trips

The other option I was looking into was the Ocean Kayak Trident 15. There are pros and cons to both.

Pros of Trident:Almost half the price of AdventureSet up for fishing more than adventure(rod pod)12 pounds lighter550 lb capacitya little wider so assume better stability?

Cons of Trident:I hate that the tankwell is so smallNo hatch in back (but can be added)I don't like the weird shaped area behind seat that doesn't seem to fit anythingThe sonar shield is a wast of space, imo

Pros of Adventure:Mirage DriveBetter looking kayak of the twofasterbetter tankwellhatch in back

Cons:heavierless capacity by like 200 lbspricier

BTW, I am 150 lbs so capacity isn't that crucial but if you figure in 10 gallons of water the weights adds up quick.

So, basically I am looking for info on how the Adventure is for fishing and help on deciding which would be better for long camping trips. Thanks!

Last edited by cbump on Fri Apr 05, 2013 10:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I know someone who has an Adventure, and from what I've seen with his struggles fishing from it, and flipping it a few times too - I wouldn't recommend it for fishing. Maybe it would be better with a pair of the inflatable 'sidekick' amas?

I'll preface this by admitting that I'm not a fisherman. So feel free to take what might be valid to you, and ignore what I may have missed the mark on.

The Adventure is a great fishing boat, simply because you have your hands free, and you have a lot of space to store gear. Having said that, even Hobie recognizes that there are drawbacks to the design as a fishing boat, that's why they've created boats like the Revo11, Outback, and of course the Pro Anglers (not to mention the many other boats in their lineup that each have their own pro's and con's for fishing)

Some drawbacks to the Adventure for fishing might depend on where and how you fish. It's a fairly long boat, so it's not going to turn a U-turn in tight creeks, you'll be pulling a paddle out on it compared to a Pro Angler or a Revo 11 if you find yourself in those types of situations.

It's also the boat with the most... "play" and I word it in that way for a reason. Some would say it feels just a slight bit tippy-er than other mirage drive boats, but it's not that it's tippy, it's just that it has a bit more lean to it in certain situations. When you get going and take a hard turn (especially with the sailing rudder) it will lean in just like a motorboat in a fast turn. It's actually a lot of fun! But that same ability to lean just a bit from side to side, will be present when you're fishing. An Outback or a Pro Angler will remain flat to the water in almost any condition, where as the Adventure will lean just a little bit in either direction. That doesn't make it an unstable boat at all, but a fisherman will probably have to get used to that.

But here is why I think you should get an Adventure

You talk about wanting a boat that holds enough gear for a 5 + day camping trip. First of all, the Adventure can do that. Weight capacity isn't an issue. Yes it's rated at 350 lbs, but you'll find it's quite capable right up to that limit, and if you're taking more than 200 lbs of gear over and above yourself, you'll probably find that you can compromise on a few things.

Second, if you're planning on camping on an island, and not covering much distance on the water, you won't need an Adventure. But, if you want to get out and make progress, you're going to LOVE the Mirage Drive! Paddling with any amount of gear on a stable, but inefficient hull is a SLOG!!! It just isn't fun after a while. Pedaling a Mirage Drive boat, ESPECIALLY the Adventure is a JOY!!. The Mirage Drive is much less affected by weight, so you'll have the torque to pull all of your gear without getting tired. If there is any wind on the trip, an efficient hull like the Adventure, and the constantly underwater Mirage Drive will keep you pulling through in virtually any condition. You don't have to stop for a drink, or a snack, as your hands are free. It's probably the best "touring boat" that you can fish out of.

So if you want a "fishing boat" that you can tour with, you'll probably find that there isn't really a perfect boat for that. But if you want a boat that is extremely capable of touring, and very capable of fishing out of, the Adventure is probably the perfect boat for you.

Finally, resale value! A big, high capacity fishing kayak without a mirage drive is a tough thing to sell a few years down the road, without discounting the price heavily. A Mirage Drive boat will hold it's value very well as users will pay extra for that feature. So while you may pay a little bit more up front, your total cost of ownership, if you decide to sell the boat down the road, may not actually be much more, if any more than it would be if you bought the less expensive boat.

I'll preface this by admitting that I'm not a fisherman. So feel free to take what might be valid to you, and ignore what I may have missed the mark on.

The Adventure is a great fishing boat, simply because you have your hands free, and you have a lot of space to store gear. Having said that, even Hobie recognizes that there are drawbacks to the design as a fishing boat, that's why they've created boats like the Revo11, Outback, and of course the Pro Anglers (not to mention the many other boats in their lineup that each have their own pro's and con's for fishing)

Some drawbacks to the Adventure for fishing might depend on where and how you fish. It's a fairly long boat, so it's not going to turn a U-turn in tight creeks, you'll be pulling a paddle out on it compared to a Pro Angler or a Revo 11 if you find yourself in those types of situations.

It's also the boat with the most... "play" and I word it in that way for a reason. Some would say it feels just a slight bit tippy-er than other mirage drive boats, but it's not that it's tippy, it's just that it has a bit more lean to it in certain situations. When you get going and take a hard turn (especially with the sailing rudder) it will lean in just like a motorboat in a fast turn. It's actually a lot of fun! But that same ability to lean just a bit from side to side, will be present when you're fishing. An Outback or a Pro Angler will remain flat to the water in almost any condition, where as the Adventure will lean just a little bit in either direction. That doesn't make it an unstable boat at all, but a fisherman will probably have to get used to that.

But here is why I think you should get an Adventure

You talk about wanting a boat that holds enough gear for a 5 + day camping trip. First of all, the Adventure can do that. Weight capacity isn't an issue. Yes it's rated at 350 lbs, but you'll find it's quite capable right up to that limit, and if you're taking more than 200 lbs of gear over and above yourself, you'll probably find that you can compromise on a few things.

Second, if you're planning on camping on an island, and not covering much distance on the water, you won't need an Adventure. But, if you want to get out and make progress, you're going to LOVE the Mirage Drive! Paddling with any amount of gear on a stable, but inefficient hull is a SLOG!!! It just isn't fun after a while. Pedaling a Mirage Drive boat, ESPECIALLY the Adventure is a JOY!!. The Mirage Drive is much less affected by weight, so you'll have the torque to pull all of your gear without getting tired. If there is any wind on the trip, an efficient hull like the Adventure, and the constantly underwater Mirage Drive will keep you pulling through in virtually any condition. You don't have to stop for a drink, or a snack, as your hands are free. It's probably the best "touring boat" that you can fish out of.

So if you want a "fishing boat" that you can tour with, you'll probably find that there isn't really a perfect boat for that. But if you want a boat that is extremely capable of touring, and very capable of fishing out of, the Adventure is probably the perfect boat for you.

Finally, resale value! A big, high capacity fishing kayak without a mirage drive is a tough thing to sell a few years down the road, without discounting the price heavily. A Mirage Drive boat will hold it's value very well as users will pay extra for that feature. So while you may pay a little bit more up front, your total cost of ownership, if you decide to sell the boat down the road, may not actually be much more, if any more than it would be if you bought the less expensive boat.

Hope that helps, sorry it's so wordy!

Thanks for the great reply. It does help quite a bit. I guess what makes me nervous is getting such an expensive kayak and it being mostly my second kayak. Most of my fishing is done on a shallow local river where my Quest is perfect. I think the Adventure is everything I need for camping and I can make it work for fishing, but is the price worth only 20% of my kayaking?

Yup. But not as much space as the Adventure. It depends on what you mean by "extended" and even then, it depends on how comfortable you want to be.

The Revolution sits quite flat to the water compared to the Adventure, so it has less of that "play" that I talked about in my earlier post. That might be better for fishing, but that's a personal decision.

As a kayak, I really prefer the Adventure, I think it gets overlooked because people think it's too long for their needs, but in most cases, an extra few feet doesn't make a difference on the roof of the car, in a garage, or even in the water. Having said that, my wife LOVED her Revolution, and didn't like my Adventure as much.

As always, if there's any chance that you can get out and try these boats on the water, that's the best thing to do. I might prefer the Adventure, you might prefer the Revolution, someone else is going to prefer the Outback, and someone else a paddling kayak. There's no wrong answer, every boat is a compromise in some way. It's up to the end user to decide which compromises matter the most.

For me, theres nothing the Adventure can't do on the water, that the other boats can do. I'd sacrifice a little bit of that rock solid stability of the other boats, to get the speed, efficiency and storage space of the Adventure. (but that's me) The Adventure feels like the sports car of the line-up.

Even length, there's a pretty narrow window in which a Revolution CAN make a U-Turn and the Adventure cannot. When my wife and I went out, she'd be in her Revolution with a standard rudder, and I'd be in my Adventure with the larger sailing rudder. There was never an instance that she could U-turn, and I couldn't. We either both had to pull out our paddles to spin around, or we could both make the turn.

There's no wrong answer, or wrong boat. It's all about you finding the boat that fits your needs the best. A Revolution is very similar to your Quest, but the back end is more rounded than the Quest to allow the rudder to be more effective in steering. (The mirage drive boats have less of a sharp keel in the back end) So you'll find that the straight tracking of the non mirage drive boats, will be a little bit less accurate with the rudder up on the mirage drive boats. Not a huge problem, but something to consider.

Thanks for all the help everyone. I like this boat in every way better than the trident I think.it was just a matter of making myself spend the money. The next things will be a ff for it and I'll look into the amas. I think a livewell would be awesome too.

The Adventure is an excellent fishing kayak. I'd take that over any other kayak in Hobies range, and it wouldn't matter where I was fishing, or for what. It is not unstable - that's a myth, usually conjured by assumption (typically by people looking at a PA or Outback, and then comparing width, think that's all there is to it).

I do use the AI primarily, but I remove the sail and outriggers (scaling it back to an Adventure) for fishing often enough.